THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS VS. SOCIAL IMPACTS The period of 1760 to 1851 was marked by huge advancements in the technological and industrial fronts of humankind and gave rise to the manufacturing powerhouses. Such growth is in effect a by-product of numerous influences and has a profound impact on the world we now know today (Soman). This era came to be known as the Industrial Revolution. It was marked by major changes in agricultural, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, which had a wide-ranging influence on the social, economic and cultural conditions in the world. There were a lot of technological innovations and these paved paths for various changes. “Technology…provides the direct means by which certain peoples have expanded their realms and conquered other peoples. That makes it the leading cause of history’s broadest patterns” (Diamond 241). This quote by Jared Diamond is noteworthy as technology was, and is, a stepping stone to the now-developed world. The Industrial Revolution had a great impact on the human’s rights and conditions and it also resulted in significant technological advancements, but it can be categorically stated that the technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution were paramount when compared to the revolution’s impact upon human rights and conditions.
Agriculture was the main-stay for livelihood before the era of Industrial Revolution. Most of the people owned farmlands and workers were employed to work in the farms. Soon the land of the poorer